The exchange came during the taped portion of an interview that included O'Reilly's questions about problems with the health care law, Benghazi and the Internal Revenue Service.

Obama conducted a live interview with O'Reilly during the Super Bowl pregame show on Sunday. Then came a taped session played on The O'Reilly Factor, one that included a discussion of Fox's coverage of the Obama administration.

The president noted that the interview consisted of leading questions about "health care not working," Benghazi, and allegations of a "wholly corrupt" IRS -- issues, Obama said, that are "defined by you guys in a certain way."

A critic of Fox News in the past, Obama said "this is okay," and "if you want to be president of the United States, then you know that you're going to be subject to criticism."

He added: "I think regardless of whether it's fair or not ... it has made Fox News very successful."

And: "What you guys are gonna have to figure out is ... what are you gonna do when I'm gone?"

For his part, O'Reilly said he was trying to get at "unanswered questions," and that he was just as hard on Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.